A Holocaust survivor shares her harrowing story, and what she hopes we all can learn from it

Zahava Rendler was born in Poland in 1941 — after Germany had invaded the country, starting World War II.

It was after Nazis forced Jews in Poland to wear a yellow star badge, and after Nazis established a concentration camp at the Polish city of Auschwitz.

Her family went into hiding and their harrowing story began.

In commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, she will share her story of survival in front of hundreds of people Feb. 19 during a conversation with David Wise, the interim CEO of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, at Union Terminal.

It’s not an easy story for her to tell, she told Cincinnati Edition, and it brings back painful memories every time. But Rendler said she has an important reason to keep telling it.

“I don’t want the future of my grandkids to be my past,” she said.